True Isekai fans should make sure they’ve watched each of these iconic anime from start to finish.
Isekai anime tend to be both imaginative and fun with loads of heart. The isekai genre focuses on characters that are transported to other worlds and must find a way to survive while usually completing some kind of mission or quest. The entire premise of the genre allows for action, introspection, personal growth, and fantastic animation.
A good deal of anime that fall into the isekai genre are released every year with some of them going on to be utter classics. The sheer number of anime classics that reside in this genre are too numerous to count. Due to allowing creators to let their imaginations run wild, the isekai genre is fertile land for some of the strongest storytelling in fiction. What are the best isekai anime ever?
Updated on August 21, 2023 by Mark Sammut: Summer 2023 has a few isekai anime, but which ones are worth watching? 33 Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious
Japanese Title
Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru
Studio
White Fox
Where to Stream
Crunchyroll, Funimation
Isekai loves an overpowered protagonist who can blast through skyscraper-sized enemies while barely breaking a sweat. When the goddess Ristarte summons Seiya to help her save a world on the brink of annihilation, she gets a hero who is only willing to dive into threatening situations when victory is 100% assured. Basically, this means a lot of training and taking absolutely no chances during battles.
Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious is a mostly lighthearted adventure built upon the love/hate dynamic between Seiya and Ristarte. Driven primarily by humor, the anime uses its protagonist’s unique mindset to produce comedy gold. 32 KamiKatsu: Working For God In A Godless World
Japanese Title
Kaminaki Sekai no Kamisama Katsudou
Studio
Studio Palette
Where to Stream
Crunchyroll
The son of a cult leader, Yukito, is killed by his father as part of a ritual, and he reawakens in a world with no concept of gods. Although not as exciting as he was hoping it would be, Yukito eventually comes to see his new life as a big step up from his previous existence; however, that changes when he learns that two of his friends have been chosen to be killed simply because they fear death. A lack of spirituality has, for some reason, spawned a society that treats death as a mundane event and villainizes anyone who does not share that mentality. Luckily for Yukito, his former cult’s deity pays him a visit.
KamiKatsu might as well be called Tonal Whiplash: The Anime, and that is somehow a compliment. The series jumps back and forth between fairly juvenile comedy and shockingly dark scenes, and the story’s frantic pacing means these moments can take place within the same minute. Depending on the viewer, this isekai anime could be deemed awesome or terrible, but almost nobody will find it boring. 31 The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up At The Duke’s Mansion
Japanese Title
Kanojo ga Koushaku-tei ni Itta Riyuu
Studio
Typhoon Graphics
Where to Stream
Crunchyroll
After being pushed to her doom, Rinko awakens as a supporting character in a fantasy novel she once read. To make matters worse, her host, Raeliana, is destined to meet an untimely end at the hands of her fiance. As Rinko would very much like for that to not happen, she sets out to strike a deal with the powerful Noah, a duke who appears charming and noble but is really quite devilish and complicated.
Raeliana/Rinko carries the entire show on her back, and she is more than strong enough as a protagonist to bear the burden. Smart without being omnipotent, Raeliana works as a surrogate for the audience while also having a clearly defined personality that elevates her beyond self-insert leads. Noah is also fun and mysterious, with his actions and motives being difficult to pin down. 30 Grimgar: Ashes And Illusions
Japanese Title
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
Studio
A-1 Pictures
Where to Stream
Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu
On the surface, Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions seems like any other game-themed isekai anime: teenagers wake up in a strange world constructed on MMO tropes and they must get by. The thing that separates Grimgar from most other shows is that while the world might pull from MMOs, it is not governed by their rules. Minor threats in other anime can be deadly in Grimgar, and death is not something that can be just waved off.
Grimgar moves at quite a lethargic pace, focusing more on establishing its quite big cast of characters as it (harshly) eases them into its world. 29 Demon King From Today!
Japanese Title
Kyou kara Maou!
Studio
Studio Deen
Where to Stream
Crunchyroll
Demon King from Today! starts with its protagonist, the unassuming Yuri Shibuya, having his head flushed down the toilet, an ordeal that teleports him to another universe. Before long, he finds himself crowned as Demon King, a role that puts him right in the middle of the demon world’s strained relationship with humans. This bizarre start reflects the rest of the show’s direction, as Kyou kara Maou! often blurs the line between silly high jinks and dramatic intensity.
Demon King from Today! is a relatively old show that has somewhat slipped from the public consciousness since its original run. While it is by no means perfect, this 2000s isekai anime is generally decent, mainly thanks to characters like Wolfram and, yes, Yuri. The show does have some pacing issues and can get a bit formulaic at times, but it is worth a watch. 28 Uncle From Another World
Japanese Title
Isekai Ojisan
Studio
AtelierPontdarc
Where to Stream
Netflix
Suffering multiple delays that caused its single cour run to stretch over nine months, Uncle from Another World started hot and ended ice-cold. By the time the final episode aired, the comedy anime was old news, relegating it to a footnote of 2022’s anime offerings rather than a potential highlight. As frustrating as these issues were, nowadays, Uncle from Another World can be watched in its entirety; however, is it worth it?
Well, the answer is subjective, as most comedies tend to be. After spending nearly two decades in another world, Ojisan awakens in a hospital bed on Earth and reunites with his nephew, Takafumi. While initially skeptical of his outlandish claim, Takafumi becomes a believer when Ojisan displays magical powers, including a TV-like ability that acts as a flashback machine to show his adventures in the other world.
